personal information privacy

Am sure most of us have heard of this initiative EARTH HOUR - which speaks about everyone coming together to switch off our lights.


Am not really keen on discussing the initiative or its implications or how successful this would be in reality - my concern is towards the value, we as internet users, give to our personal information. This emerges from the fact that numerous sites on the internet request our personal information (ranging from items as trivial as your nickname, to items as critical as your credit card number.) for being able to access all sections of the site or utilizing services offered. The issue is not with who collects information or what information is collected - the issue is with what is being done with this information.

So imagine this - you really want to be a part of a 'good, social initiative'. You register yourself and in the process providing your personal details. This information, which now resides in some server in some corner of the world, is accessible by a lot of people who definitely have nothing to do other than manage it. But then, you cannot control or stop them from accessing it and doing whatever they want with it. The worst part is that all this is done without your knowledge / control.

The solution clearly is not in prohibiting websites from collecting information. How can such an issue be tackled?

IP messenger snippets...

Woohoo! Just stumbled upon this relic text file log that emerged from my lappy clean up session. Am sure all NITIEans from my batch will relate very well with this one, especially since this episode starts from the very famous conversation ice-breaker called "net?"

Would love to hear on whether you liked this content. Also, if you do stumble upon such prizes possessions which are very popular with junta, do send them over so that I can help them reach a larger audience.

[ For the lesser mortals - 'net?' usually intended to pose a question on whether the internet connection is up and running or has gone for a ride leaving us users stranded in our rooms. However, multiple assumptions from the myraid minds have drawn creative interpretations of the phrase leading to hilarious replies that are often worth offline discussions :-D ]

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From: Devendra_Devil's Own (IM 13/NITIE-C3D634FF1)
at Tue Dec 18 12:09:14 2007 (multi)
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net..???

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From: SumeetChoudhary_9969395111_420 (IM 13/IBM-20235A83DDA)
at Tue Dec 18 12:09:53 2007 (multi)
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>net..???
fishing

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From: DJ.. (IM 13/DJ)
at Tue Dec 18 12:10:16 2007 (multi)
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>>net..???
>fishing
mosquito...

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From: Amit Pal (Kakey): X X X X _ _ _ _ (IM 13/NITIE-65198D2F2)
at Tue Dec 18 12:10:43 2007 (multi)
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>net..???
to catch a bird????
go to africa

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From: Sukhie_9833679297 (IM 13/THINKPADZ60)
at Tue Dec 18 12:11:09 2007 (multi)
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>>>net..???
>>fishing
>mosquito...
keede makode....

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From: Alankar HSBC GR (IM 13/ALANKAR-WS)
at Tue Dec 18 12:11:26 2007 (multi)
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>>net..???
>to catch a bird????
>go to africa
what abt the birds of NITIE? who will net them?

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From: DJ.. (IM 13/DJ)
at Tue Dec 18 12:12:00 2007 (multi)
-------------------------------------
>>>net..???
>>to catch a bird????
>>go to africa
>what abt the birds of NITIE? who will net them?
panchhi :P

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From: Amit Pal (Kakey): X X X X _ _ _ _ (IM 13/NITIE-65198D2F2)
at Tue Dec 18 12:12:20 2007 (multi)
-------------------------------------
>>>net..???
>>to catch a bird????
>>go to africa
>what abt the birds of NITIE? who will net them?
not many are left now
few were caught b4 and few were caught recently
ask panchii

=====================================
From: Soham (IM 13/BIN-LADEN)
at Tue Dec 18 12:12:21 2007 (multi)
-------------------------------------
>>>net..???
>>fishing
>mosquito...
net (v): an error in tennis where the ball is blocked by the net.

[- end of log -]